Golf Yardage Finder – A Must-Have For Serious Golfers

When you’re an amateur golfer, knowing how far your shot is to the flag can make a big difference in your score. It can mean the difference between a birdie and a double bogey. That’s why golf yardage finder is a must-have for serious golfers.

Whether you use a GPS device, a laser rangefinder or an app on your phone, getting the precise distance to a pin or hazard is easy enough and will help improve your game. Having accurate distances will reduce the likelihood of under or over clubbing, both of which can have a huge impact on your score.

Golf yardage finder devices are now a must-have for serious players, with some manufacturers making both rangefinders and GPS golf watches. The market is booming with Garmin, Bushnell and Callaway now offering both, so there’s a massive choice.

Laser rangefinders emit a laser beam that bounces off the target and calculates the distance to it using the time it takes for the signal to return. Some also offer slope functions that can be switched on or off (although this is technically illegal for USGA competitions).

Choosing the right golf rangefinder is crucial and depends on your personal requirements. Those who want the most accuracy available will opt for a laser rangefinder while those who don’t care about such precision can go for a cheaper GPS model. The best golf rangefinders are able to provide you with distances to the front, centre and back of the green and are a breeze to use. Most offer a quick and simple way to change between yards and meters, turn slope on or off and switch between a free scan of the green and flagpole scanning.

There are three main types of golf yardage finder on the market – handheld models which look like mobile phones with information displayed on their screen; binoculars that give an exact reading to the flagpole and can be attached to your belt or trolley; and those which resemble a watch and are worn on the wrist. Typically, handheld models are easier to operate and have more functionality but can be harder to keep track of or lose as you go around the course. Handhelds can also have the advantage of being able to be voice activated so you can hear the distance to the flag without having to take your eye off the ball.

GPS-enabled devices rely on satellite mapping to determine your position and are not restricted by rangefinder limitations such as requiring you to point the device at a specific target. They are often more expensive than a laser but offer a number of benefits including being able to see other objects such as bunkers, trees and electricity pylons, which can be difficult or impossible to spot with a laser.

One of the most popular GPS golf apps is BlueGolf which overlays a yardage book on top of a satellite image. It allows you to view distances to the green, targets, hazards, bunkers (reach / carry) and much more.